✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

07 | D U N G E O N S

   "YOUR BROTHER IS staring at you like you ate the last piece of his chocolate cake", Hannah Abbott whispered at Ember the next morning during breakfast, and as Ember looked up, she caught Harry staring at her with furrowed eyebrows, before he quickly looked away.

   Ember lightly shook her head. Harry could be such a bullhead if he wanted to; and unfortunately it seemed that was exactly what he was going for this time.

   "What did you do?", Susan Bones snickered, shoving a fork of pancakes into her mouth.

   "Oh dared to get saved by Malfoy when the Death Eaters attacked at the World Cup", Ember snorted, rolling her eyes.

   "Malfoy?", both her friends gasped, and several heads down the Hufflepuff table turned around by the not quiet exclaim.

   "Shh, you idiots!", Ember hissed. "Yes, Malfoy. Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this?"

   Susan cocked an eyebrow, pouting her lips. Her fingertip was tipping against her chin, pretending to deeply think about it.

   "Oh, I don't know", she then said. "Maybe because during our second year he was busy telling everyone that he wished you to be muggleborn, so Slytherin's monster would finish you off?"

   "Or because of last year he was hoping your soul would get sucked by a Dementor?", Hannah added.

   "Or maybe because —"

   "Okay okay, I get it, it was isn't what you'd expected him to do", Ember cut Susan off, in her voice swinging annoyance. "But he did. I don't care why he did, but he did, and I won't complain, because if it wasn't him, I don't know what would have happened to me. So just let it be, okay?"

   "Who'd have thought there'd come a day you actually defend Draco Malfoy", Susan chuckled.

   "I don't defend him. What is there to defend? My leg was broken and he brought me back to the campsite. End of discussion. It's not like we're going to marry now and have a bunch of disgusting snobbish kids."

   "Well, if I interpret the look upon your brother's face right", Hannah giggled, "that's exactly what he's thinking about the story."

   Ember decided to talk to Harry. She considered to slap the back of his head as long as it needs for him to get some sense about this subject. But it wasn't that easy to get at Harry. The curriculum Ember was handed didn't leave no time for a talk, starting with Divination high up in the North Tower, then having to go to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, just to head back to the fifth floor for her Ancient Runes class.

   But as lunch time arrived, she held her eyes open, being about to lunge at him the second her eyes would catch him. She decided to wait in the entrance hall, as she didn't want to make a scene in the Great Hall. Harry didn't show up, but someone else caught her eye.

   Draco Malfoy came down the main stairs together with Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson. While Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy headed straight to lunch, Draco took the door to the dungeons.

   Ember didn't know why; she really didn't know, but she followed the blonde Slytherin the second the door fell shut behind his back, and it didn't take long for her to finally catch up with him.

   "Malfoy", she coldly said, causing him to stop in mition.

   "Gosh, Potter, if I'd known you'd stalk me now, I'd have left you in this damn forest to die", he snarled as his marble grey eyes fixed her and narrowed. "What do you want?"

   "Well, I — didn't thank you, did I?", she said, shrugging. "And as I'm not the impolite prat you chose to be, I — erm — thank you." She felt the heat creep up her cheeks, begging for Malfoy to not notice.

   "Oh my, are you getting sentimental?", Draco spat, rolling his eyes. "I thought that's up to your whiny wanker of a brother."

   "Okay, I see, bad decision", she hissed, throwing her long ebony hair back. "Please next time leave me there, so at least I won't have to deal with your dimwit comments a day longer."

   He gave one of his arrogant laughters, mimicking her movement of throwing her hair back. "Oh, look at me, I'm Ember Potter, I'm so sad now as I thought finally someone would care for me", he aped her voice. "Has your desperation for attention reached a new maximum?"

   "I guess it was just my inner Hufflepuff believing that there's something good existing in every human being", she shot back, "but unfortunately I forgot you're nothing but foul mucus under your poorly bleached hair. So excuse me now, I really can't believe I almost skipped a meal for you."

   "Can't believe that as well", he snorted.

   Ember tried to ignore every brilliant comment that was running through her head right now, ready to be punched in the poor blokes face. Instead she just turned around and walked down the gloomy lit corridor in large steps to bring as much space between her and Malfoy as possible.

   "Oh my, Potter, I really didn't expect you to give up that easy", Draco called after her, but she didn't stop. "See, one reason I like you more than your dipshit of a brother is that fights with you at least have some quality. But it's not a surprise you're disappointing me."

   Her face on fire, she forced herself not to run. He wanted to provoke her, and she wouldn't grant him that triumph of once more turning around and yelling some insult right into his pale face. No, instead she walked along, not stopping for a second, not hesitating. And until she reached the stairs leading back up into the Great Hall, she could have sworn she still felt his eyes on her, and his feeling won't leave her alone until the door behind her fell into its lock and she joined the last couple of students streaming into the Great Hall.